Good morning, it’s Friday, May 3, 2024. In today’s edition, 30 states working on social media bills; Mississippi Medicaid expansion dies; feds threaten Iowa over immigration law:
Top Stories
SOCIAL MEDIA: At least 30 states are considering or have considered regulations on social media platforms this year over concerns about those platforms’ impact on teenagers. Governors in Utah, Florida and Georgia have signed their respective bills, while Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) have bills sitting on their desks. (Pluribus News)
MEDICAID: Bills to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are officially dead after the Senate refused to act on a compromise agreed to by negotiators. The compromise would have allowed voters to decide Medicaid expansion with work requirements, which were unlikely to be approved by the Biden administration. (Jackson Clarion Ledger)
ABORTION: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has signed a bill repealing the state’s 1864 near-total abortion ban. Planned Parenthood Arizona asked the state Supreme Court to delay implementation of the old ban, which remains in effect until 90 days after the legislature adjourns for the year. (Arizona Republic)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The Mississippi legislature has approved a bill requiring public education facilities to create single-sex restrooms, changing areas and dorms. The bill would require people to use facilities corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. (Associated Press)
MORE: The South Carolina Senate voted to approve legislation barring gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The bill would require school principals or vice principals to notify parents if their child wants to use a different name or pronoun that does not correspond to their sex at birth. (Associated Press)
IMMIGRATION: The federal Justice Department has warned Iowa it will sue to block a new law criminalizing “illegal reentry” if the state seeks to enforce the law. The DOJ said the law violates the Constitution, which gives authority to enforce immigration law to the federal government. (Des Moines Register)
GUN POLITICS: The Minnesota House voted to approve legislation requiring gun owners to lock, unload or store a firearm when not in their possession. The House also approved a bill stiffening penalties for those who buy firearms for someone who cannot legally possess one. (MPR News)
CHILD WELFARE: The Minnesota House has approved legislation prohibiting parents from making money off social media accounts that feature children under the age of 14. The bill requires account owners to take down images or videos featuring a child if the child asks, either while still a minor or after they reach adulthood. (MinnPost)
In Politics & Business
MISSOURI: Supporters of sports betting, including the mascots for the Kansas City Royals, the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues, dropped off more than 340,000 signatures to qualify a ballot measure for this year’s elections. They need 171,000 of those signatures to be valid to secure a spot on the ballot. (Kansas City Star)
WASHINGTON: Republican legislative staffers have moved to form a union under a law approved in 2022 that would allow legislative employees to organize. The 39 House employees and 21 Senate employees formed the Legislative Professionals Association, a newly formed group, to represent them at the bargaining table. (Washington State Standard)
BIDEN: The Alabama House has given final approval to legislation that will allow President Biden on November’s ballot. Current state law requires parties to nominate their presidential contenders 82 days before an election; the new bill shortens that to 74 days, making accommodations for the Democratic National Convention in August. (Yellowhammer News)
PEOPLE: New Hampshire Senate President Jeb Bradley (R) will retire after 16 years in office. Bradley served in Congress from 2003 to 2007 before returning to Concord. (WMUR)
By The Numbers
4.16 million: The number of children who are no longer enrolled in government-paid health care programs, after states unwound pandemic-era rules. That’s according to a report from Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families. (Florida Politics)
4.6: The number of sheep per person in New Zealand, as the number of sheep dropped 3% last year. The sheep population is down 22% since 2011, the government said. (Radio New Zealand)
Off The Wall
A Pennsylvania man is asking for help in finding his missing emotional support alligator, Wally, who escaped during a vacation to the Georgia coast. The man says Wally helped relieve his depression after he adopted the gator in 2015. (Associated Press)
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling place after he forgot to bring his identification. Johnson signed Britain’s voter ID law in 2021. (The Independent)
Quote of the Day
“He’s a dictator that won’t let conservative members do their jobs.”
— Ohio Rep. Phil Plummer (R), one of six committee chairs ousted by Speaker Jason Stephens (R) after they donated to candidates challenging pro-Stephens incumbents in the March primary. (Statehouse News Bureau)